1 . Running is often tiring and a lot of hard work, but nothing beats the feeling you get after finishing a long workout around the track.
But while it’s long been believed that endorphins (内啡肽) —chemicals in the body that cause happiness—are behind the so-called “runner’s high”, a study suggested that there may be more to this phenomenon than we previously knew.
According to a recent study published by a group of scientists from several German universities, a group of chemicals called endocannabinoids (内源性大麻素) may actually be responsible for this familiar great feeling.
To test this theory, the scientists turned to mice. Both mice and humans release high levels of endorphins and endocannabinoids after exercise. After exercising on running wheels, the mice seemed happy and relaxed and displayed no signs of anxiety. But after being given a drug to block their endorphins, the mice’s behavior didn’t seem to change. However, when their endocannabinoids were blocked with a different drug, their runners’ high symptoms seemed to fade.
“The long-held notion of endorphins being responsible for the runner’s high is false. Endorphins are effective pain relievers, but only when it comes to the pain in your body and muscles you feel after working out,” Patrick Lucas Austin wrote on science blog Lifchacker.
Similar studies are yet to be carried out on humans, but it’s already known that exercise is a highly effective way to get rid of stress or anxiety. The UK’s National Health Service even prescribes (开药 方) exercise to patients who are suffering from depression. “Being depressed can leave you feeling low in energy, which might put you off being more active. Regular exercise can improve your mood if you have depression, and its especially useful for people with mild to moderate (中等的) depression,” it wrote on its website.
It seems like nothing can beat that feeling we get after a good workout, even if we don’t fully understand where it comes from. At least if we’re feeling down, we know that all we have to do is to put on our running shoes.
1. What did scientists from German universities recently discover?| A．Working out is a highly effective way to treat depression. |
| B．The runner’s high could be caused by endocannabinoids. |
| C．Endorphins may contribute to one’s high spirits after running. |
| D．The level of endorphins and endocannabinoids could affect one’s mood. |
| A．To find what reduces the runner’s high symptoms. |
| B．To see the specific symptoms of the runner’s high. |
| C．To identify what is responsible for the runner’s high. |
| D．To test what influences the level of endocannabinoids released. |
| A．Effect. | B．Goal. | C．Opinion. | D．Question |
| A．They can help ease depression symptoms. |
| B．They are the best way to treat depression. |
| C．They only work for those with serious depression. |
| D．They can help people completely recover from depression. |
INNOVATION CUP 2022 Great minds come together at Merck | |
| What’s in it for me? If you are a post-graduate student with an interest in the pharmaceutical and chemical industry, the Merck Innovation Cup is your chance to gain in-depth knowledge about research and development, to network with top students from around the world and to build a business case together with experienced professionals. Who can apply: Advanced students and postdocs in the fields of life science, data science and business administration from all over the world can apply: Sciences: Post graduate students on their way towards a PhD in biology, medicine, biotech, bioinformatics, data sciences, biochemistry, chemistry, pharmacy, physics or engineering. Business: Advanced MBA students and recent MBA graduates with an interest in the pharmaceutical and chemical business and a science background. The Innovation Cup will comprise the following team topics: oncology, immuno-oncology, autoimmunity, drug discovery technologies digitalization. | How it works: During a one-week Summer Camp, 50 selected students will attend in-depth presentations about the pharmaceutical and chemical industry given by Merck researchers and managers. The participants will be divided into teams, work together to develop a business plan and present it to a grand jury, who will award the Merck Innovation Cup for the best plan along with a cash prize of EUR 20,000 plus EUR 5,000 for the runner-up. A conference with alumni of previous Innovation Cup editions will be held on the first day of the Summer Camp. Further information about the program and how to apply online from November 1, 2021, until January 31, 2022: http://innovationcup.merckgroup.com Location: Near Frankfurt, Germany, June 20 - 26, 2022. Travel, accommodation and food expenses will be paid by Merck. |
| A．High school students interested in life science. |
| B．Post-graduate students majoring in mathematics. |
| C．MBA graduates knowledgeable about finance. |
| D．Exceptional students specializing in developing new drugs. |
| A．To deepen top students’ interest in innovation. |
| B．To attract talent to the Innovation Cup competition |
| C．To promote the Merck company around the world. |
| D．To inform alumni of an important conference. |
| A．Merck will cover the expenses of travel, research and food. |
| B．The event plans to select 50 researchers to give presentations. |
| C．The top two winners of the Cup will be awarded cash prizes. |
| D．Applicants should apply online within a duration of two months. |
Building up your muscles is an easy part—the hard part is burning those layers of fat that cover your muscles. Here are some tips.
In order to work out harder, make a favorite fitness playlist with music that gets you excited, as it can help you go up to 20% longer and burn more calories, according to a study of Brunel University London. The study’s researcher says that music tends to prevent tiredness, and produces feelings of excitement.
Not only does eating good breakfast speed up your metabolism(新陈代谢), but it also nourishes (为……提供营养) your muscles. After eating breakfast, your best way of keeping fat burning going is to “graze”. Set up an eating schedule where you eat five to eight small meals every few hours throughout the day. It provides your body with a constant flow of nourishment to feed your muscles.
Men’s Health suggests choosing hard exercise that involves total body movements in order to help raise your heart rate and leave you out of breath. By including total body movements into your exercise, you’re going to end up burning a lot more calories while challenging yourself at the same time. As the saying goes: No pain, no gain. So, get moving.
Sounds easy enough, right? It’s as simple as drinking a cup of green tea every day. Adding in green tea will push fat burning to another level. And studies have shown that it can increase fat burning and help you lose weight.
While doing your weight training, try something including short, big bursts of cardio(心脏强化锻炼) throughout your exercise. For example, if you’re doing an hour-long exercise, place cardio into it every 15 minutes to help speed up your metabolism.
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It seems that deep, long-lasting happiness comes from intangible things, rather than things like chocolates and smart-phones. One essential factor is human relationships. People who have the support of family members and also have strong friendships are more likely to be happy. Feeling protected and respected and knowing you can trust in the people around you is vital. But happiness means you have to give and take. Performing acts of kindness and generosity on a regular basis, for example, listening to a friend in need or carrying a neighbor’s shopping, will make you feel on top of the world. Even a simple smile can work wonders. In fact, they say that one smile makes a person feel as good as eating 2,000 bars of chocolates(not all at once, of course).
It is not surprising that health is another key contributor to happiness. Poor health will certainly make you feel down in the mouth. But being healthy and staying healthy require some effort. A healthy diet is crucial and so is regular exercise. Laziness will not make you happy. Exercising for 20 to 30 minutes a day helps to reduce stress and anxiety and makes you feel more positive and optimistic because it releases endorphins(feel-good chemicals). So, if you have been feeling blue and worrying too much about your exams, get exercising. You’ll also find that you sleep better.
Talking of sleep, do you often wake up feeling miserable? If so, it’s probably because you haven’t had enough of it. Teenagers tend to go to bed too late and have to get up early, so many suffer from a lack of sleep. Tiredness will certainly affect your happiness levels and put you in a bad mood. It also affects your ability to concentrate and may slow your growth. So if you want to be happy and do well at school, try to get at least eight hours of sleep a night. Now that you know the theory, it’s time to put it all into practice.
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Change is needed in youth sports
Everywhere you look, you see kids bouncing a basketball or waving a tennis racket. And these kids are getting younger and younger. Children can even compete on basketball, baseball, and volleyball teams starting at age nine. The youth soccer organization has teams for children as young as five. And swimming and gymnastics classes begin at age four, to prepare children for competition.
It’s true that a few of these kids will develop into highly skilled athletes and may even become members of our national Olympic teams. But what about the others-the average kids? This emphasis on competition in sports is having serious negative effects.
Children who get involved in competitive sports at a young age often grow tired of their sport. Many parents pressure their kids to choose one sport and devote all their time to it. A survey found that 79% of parents of young athletes wanted their children to concentrate on one sport. But 66% of the young athletes wanted to play more than one sport-for fun.
Another problem is the pressure posed by over-competitive parents and coaches. Children are not naturally competitive. In fact, a recent study by Paul David has found that most children don’t even understand the idea of competition until they are seven years old. Very young kids don’t know why their parents are pushing them so hard.
The third, the biggest problem for young athletes is the lack of time to do their homework, have fun, be with friends-in short, time to be kids. When they are forced to spend every afternoon at sports practice, they often start to hate their chosen sport. Researchers have found that 70% of kids who take part in competitive sports before the age of twelve quit before they turn eighteen. Many of them completely lose interest in sports. Excessive competition takes away all the enjoyment.
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| A. included B. promising C. achievements D. proved E. transfer F. outstanding G. sign H. appearances I. scoring J. capture K. referred |
Ronaldo Luiz Nazario de Lima was born on 22 September 1976 in a poor suburb of Rio de Janeiro. Like most of his childhood friends, Ronaldo began his football (soccer) career playing barefoot in the streets of his neighbourhood. At the age of 14, he joined Sao Cristovao football club and only two years later became the star of Cruzeiro Esporte Clube in Belo Horizonte
Since his
Since the 1998 World Cup he has suffered serious knee injuries that have severely limited his
Some people prefer
| A．Two. | B．Seven. |
| C．Ten. | D．Twelve. |
| A．They are impolite. |
| B．They are necessary. |
| C．They are trouble makers. |
| D．They are crazy. |
| A．The match is a national ice hockey game. |
| B．The speaker was a supporter of one team. |
| C．The teams are from the same continent. |
| D．The supporters left a good impression on the speaker. |
| A．Basketball. | B．Table tennis. |
| C．Badminton. | D．Football. |
| A．Negative. | B．Positive. |
| C．Neutral. | D．Objective. |
| A．The choices and benefits of children’s sports. |
| B．The reasons for children to play sports. |
| C．The importance of playing sports for children. |
| D．The kind of children’s sports. |
10 . Why Is Exercise Important to Teenagers and How to Get Started?
Teens get involved in a lot of things in high school. Some are involved in clubs and others are part of the band. There are many reasons why sports are great for teens and here’s how they can get started.
One of the biggest benefits for teens to be involved in sports is that it keeps them active. Some teens would be content to play video games or watch television all the time they’re at home. If a teen spends all their waking time being inactive they could gain weight and become unhealthy.
Be sure your child knows to warm up properly before playing any sport. Warming up before any physical activity will help your child avoid injury.
Encourage your teens to try out for one high school sport. Perhaps they’re not comfortable with football, but that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t excel in swimming or tennis. They may also enjoy playing baseball or soccer. Girls may enjoy basketball, swimming.
Many sports team will require that students try out before being able to join. Try-outs may include showing how active your teen is, running, jumping or if they are quick enough. They want to ensure your teen has at least the minimum skills required for the sport they’re trying out for.
Being a part of a sports team can also help your teen make friends.
| A．Athletes almost become like a second family. |
| B．This is a good practice whether they’re practicing with the team or exercising on their own. |
| C．Do everything you can to encourage your teen. |
| D．Being a part of a sports team will help them burn calories so they will remain healthier. |
| E．Your teens may not feel that they’re good enough to make their high school sports team. |
| F．High school coaches are going to do their best to keep their team members healthy. |
